A court heard how a handyman “always there, always watching, warning and scaring residents” raped and sexually assaulted vulnerable women placed by the authorities in a Peterborough guesthouse. Some of his victims had drink and drug addictions – he raped one victim twice within hours of her being sent there.
Judge Andrew Hurst told Ricky Lee, 65, that “it is inconceivable management gave you the responsibility they did, especially access to vulnerable people.
“You had keys to properties, and you knew which cameras were working. Always there, always watching, warning and scaring residents.
“Maybe you thought she wouldn’t remember, or who would believe her – an alcoholic – over you and your power. An extended sentence is appropriate to keep the public safe.”
He jailed the man for 25 years.
Lee had keys to every room in Eastfield Guesthouse, in Eastfield Road, which accommodated vulnerable people, including those with drink and drug addictions.
He raped one victim twice within hours of her being placed at the property by a local authority on 17 June 2022, and sexually harassed and assaulted others between November 2021 and May 2022.
Lee had previously been placed at the guesthouse and had become a handyman, doing odd jobs in return for lodgings in a caravan outside, after his time there ran out.
He had access to room keys and CCTV to see which cameras were working so he could select times when he would not be caught.
Lee, of Eastfield Road, Peterborough, denied two charges of rape and four of sexual assault but was found guilty of all on Friday (24 January) at Cambridge Crown Court.
He was sentenced to 25 years for rape and six years for the sexual assaults, to run concurrently.
He was issued with an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order alongside a requirement to register with police in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Detective Chief Inspector Amerjit Singh, of the Protecting Vulnerable People Department, said: “Lee exploited vulnerable women believing he could get away with it because they had dependency issues.
“He used threats of violence to silence them, ensuring most were too scared to report what had happened.
“Our investigation into the rapes led officers to discover there were several victims of sexual harassment and assault who had never reported what they had endured.
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes, and I hope that reassures women.”
